Tough Salvador Perez shakes off bruises to win World Series MVP

One word comes to mind when talking about the 2015 Kansas City Royals: Resilient. The Royals appeared to be out of games a number of times during their amazing postseason run, but always managed to hang around, even when the situation looked bleak. More often than not, that resiliency led to success.

[Related: Five key moments from Game 5 of the World Series]

In that sense, it’s exceptionally fitting that Royals catcher Salvador Perez was named the World Series MVP. Perez perfectly personified the Royals narrative, particularly during the playoffs. 

There were a number of times in which Perez took a foul ball to the mask, or was hit by a backswing. That doesn’t even include the numerous tips that ricocheted off some part of his body. Each time Perez was hit, there was fear that he might exit the contest. Yet, like the Royals, he continued to fight. Perez never left a game for injury reasons, and that turned out to be a significant factor in the team’s World Series victory.

Perez won the MVP award after hitting .364/.391/.455 over the five-game series. Perez scored three runs, while driving in two. He was a major part of the team’s Game 5 win, hitting the ground ball that Eric Hosmer scored on to tie things up in the ninth inning and leading off the Royals incredible 12th inning with a single, sparking the team’s eventual victory.

[Look: 10 memorable moments from the Royals incredible postseason run]

Following the game, Perez told reporters taking a beating behind the plate is something that comes with the territory. “I think it’s part of my job. Take a foul ball, wild pitch. And it had to get out of the game, because I feel like I’m not going to do nothing for my team to win,” Perez said. “So I just need a couple of seconds.” 

Despite that, he admitted there was one moment where he nearly had to leave a game. “Yeah, the one that hit in my face, that was a big one. I feel a little dizzy, but the good thing, I stayed in the game.”

That last quote is a bit scary. We’ve seen prominent catchers like Joe Mauer and Jonathan Lucroy miss significant time the past few seasons due to concussion scares.

Due to the job requirements, catching will always be dangerous, and Perez certainly reminded us of that during the postseason. Every time Perez got hit with a ball, you wondered whether he was seriously injured, or whether he would leave the game with a concussion. Perez avoided serious injury during the team’s run, but that didn’t stop viewers from wincing every time he took another shot to the head or body.

For now, Perez will receive some much-needed rest. While the next few days will likely include a fair amount of celebrating, Perez will also spend time icing his various bumps and bruises sustained as he carried the club to a World Series win. 

[From Jeff Passan: The Royals never said die during their amazing postseason run]

His body may be beat up, but his spirit, like the Royals’, remains strong. Considering the circumstances, Perez probably wouldn’t want it any other way.

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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik